Goldilocks and the Three Bears
by Eridewrite
Summary: This is my own personal take on what inspired the old-time story of Goldilocks. I wrote this 4 years ago, when I was in high school. Enjoy :-


Erin Fay"Goldilocks and the Three Bears"9/19/05

Footsteps echoed through the forest, clashing against the soft whistles and rustlings of nature. The girl squinted into the sun, obviously attempting to read the time from its location. However, it seemed that no stroke of timely genius occurred to her, for she dropped her eyes and shook her head in disgust. Her short black hair swayed with the motion, like a curtain hung precariously over a pair of mud-brown eyes. She was short for her age, only 4 feet and 2 inches at age 12. Despite this, her legs stretched easily into a jog, while she jumped over fallen logs and ducked beneath a few branches hung rather low from their boughs.

The sun had already begun its regular descent below the hills when the girl walked into a clear field, knee-deep in golden grass. She suddenly turned to the left, having been distracted by two birds shrieking their indignation as a squirrel clamored up onto their branch, towards a nest that most certainly belonged to them. She glanced around the tree, watching the squirrel drop from the low branch to the ground. The animal ran to a cabin; his gait distorted by the acorns he had gathered along the run. The girl cautiously approached the building. Any observer could see that she yearned for a meal and some sleep after wandering the forest for a day.

Sauntering up the stone steps to the wooden door, she knocked solemnly, hoping that someone would respond. Five minutes later, the futility of her efforts were realized with the lack of response to her persistent pounding and calling. She took a deep, seemingly calming breath, grasped the doorknob, and gave a firm tug.

Her pull was met with solid resistance, one her mind could not comprehend. The door did not appear to contain a lock, much less actually be locked, for there was no area for a key to be inserted from the outside. She gave another half-hearted jerk, certain that her lack of luck would halt any attempt of entering. Sighing, the girl leaned against the door in exasperation, pushing it in with a thud. As the swinging door hit the opposite wall, the girl landed on the floor in a heap, cursing as she brushed her hair back, revealing pure blond roots. Her dyed hair fell stubbornly back into place, causing her to groan as she lurched to her feet.

Certain the clatter would have alerted anyone within to her presence, the girl stepped into the stunningly modern kitchen. Among other culinary appliances, there was a microwave and an electric oven. Her eyes lit with excitement as she took in the adjoining room, featuring three dishes of porridge supported by a large table. Wasting not a moment, the girl marched into the dinning area, yanked the closest chair back, and flopped down. The bowl was full to the brim, the contents steaming from within. Without hesitation, the child opened her mouth to taste the food, chomping her teeth on the spoon as she bit down.

The sensation began on the roof of her mouth flowing over onto her tongue. She stifled a yelp as the scalding liquid met the back of her throat, tearing into all the sensitive tissue in her mouth. She quickly swallowed, grimacing as it trickled down her throat. Her voice croaked as she gulped cool air into her hot mouth. She quickly stood, not bothering to replace the deserted chair beneath the table.

Onto the next bowl she moved, careful to test this one with her finger before bringing it to her mouth. However, this much cooler meal was also met with reproach from the hungry child. Her dislike of the colder porridge was evident by her scowl, making her appear to be less hurt yet equally angry as after she had tried the first bowl.

The third and final bowl was given the same treatment as the second, a test of the finger and then a reserved lick. Her face split into a triumphant grin as she brought another spoonful to her lips.

Before the girl realized it, all that porridge was gone. This left her feeling rather bored, so she went into the living room after exploring the house. There she saw, similar to the kitchen porridges, three computers with internet access. She sat down in front of the first computer, intent on reading through her e-mail and maybe chatting with some friends, when she said with frustration "This chair is too big." So once again she moved on, trying the second computer desk, which she also rejected immediately.

The girl moodily walked to the third and final setup, determined to work here. After sitting down for a few minutes, she confided that "This chair is just right!"

However, after a mere ten minutes of blissful internet connection, the modem crashed, causing the computer to become inaccessible to the World Wide Web. Discouraged with the lack of cooperation she had received from the computer, the child climbed the stairs, fully prepared to drop asleep in a perfect stranger's bed. As she went she reflected upon the day spent tirelessly wandering the leave-strewn wood, having sprinted intervals, to arrive at this deserted haven that seemed set in anticipation for her arrival. The food and internet browsing had completed the day, making her drowsy enough to outweigh any desire to leave before the homeowners returned.

After lifting the cover of the first, she realized she would need to choose another. This was one of those adjustable beds, and although her parents had one, she was utterly stumped on how to use this particular model. So on she went, stopping at the next bed. She was disappointed again, however, for after lying for about five minutes she realized that this bed was too soft, and non-adjustable.

She reluctantly decided to give the final bed a chance. The girl climbed under the sheets, settling the pillow as she did so. She lay there for almost two minutes before falling asleep, at peace with herself and not worried about her unknowing hosts.

At about that same time, the three inhabitants of the house returned. The father, Tallan Tough, walked straight to his bowl, releasing a growl of discord that would have made a bear proud. His wife, Shortan Tough stalked to her own meal, lifting her nose and sniffing dramatically at the breech in privacy. Neither of them seemed concerned about their son, Hewill B. Tough, as he went to his own dinner, to find it completely missing.

The trio gathered in the living room, reacting much the same to the disturbed computers as they had to the porridge.

Into the bedroom the family ascended, noting various oddities between the two acts of trespassing. Tallan threw open the door, causing it to rattle upon its hinges while the girl slept on. The people inspected their beds, declaring with continuing brutality what would become of the intruder.

Finally they reached Hewill's bed, where they could see a small relaxed shape breathing. Hewill pulled back the cover, revealing startlingly dark eyes under a questioning brow. Before the larger adults could move a muscle the child shrieked, catching them all unawares. She jumped from the mattress and bolted out of the door, scurrying from the punishment she was certain would come if caught by the family. As she raced blindly through the semi-familiar forest, the pace set by her pounding heart was only kept by the frenetic beat of her dash. She briefly realized that she would never again visit that seemingly charming house, with the overwhelming owners. An unexplainable fear filled her being, for she had not exchanged even a word with the Toughs. Yet this terror held her away indefinitely, making her somewhat of a joke to the Tough family. In turn, the girl portrayed the bewildered Toughs as a murderous group of animals to anyone who would listen. The girl was named Goldilocks, for the locks of golden hair shooting from her head at birth. The tale spread through the village like wildfire, consuming the imagination of adults and children alike, soon becoming the material of fairy tales spoken long ago.


End file.
